For the first time since 2007, Purdue has won back-to-back games in the same season. If you would have asked me before the season to pick out where Purdue could have consecutive wins, I definitely would not have pointed to victories against Ohio State and Illinois, but that's why they play the games.
The Juice is good? No.- Wow, this kid Juice Williams is just flat out bad when he doesn't have Rashard Mendenhall in the backfield with him. I remember watching him when Purdue went to Champaign in 2006, his freshman year, and thinking that he was quick and had a strong arm and could become a real threat with a little bit of development. Well, his sophomore season was aided by a fantastic running back and veteran offensive line, but other than that magical Rose bowl run, Juice's time at Illinois is marred with failure. I never thought I would call a quarterback who led a "little 8" school to a Rose Bowl a bust, but this guy is a total bust.
Gettin' physical up front- For the second week in a row, Purdue's defensive line flat out dominated the opposing offensive line. Mike Neal is playing his way up NFL draft boards by fighting and beating constant double teams, and Ryan Kerrigan is making his case for the All-Big Ten team. This past week, though, the best of the line may have been sophomore Gerald Gooden who used his speed and balance to be a constant presence in the Illini backfield. Add in the fact that freshman Kawann Short has been better than solid starting oppositte Neal, and that sophomore Nick Mondeck has been coming off the bench and playing like a starter, and you have to be excited about what this line can do next year with experienced linebackers coming back behind them.
Halloween Horror Nights- Purdue's troubles in Camp Randell are not as well documented as their troubles in the Big House, where they have not won since 1966, are. In fact, Purdue went in to Madison and knocked off a Top-15 ranked Badger team in 2003 on their way to the Capital One Bowl. Still, this is one of the most difficult venues in the Big Ten to play in, and the Badgers have a style that fully takes advantage of a riotous home field advantage that should be even louder because everybody knows how nuts they get in Madison for Halloween. This style consists of a heavy dosage of the Big Ten's leading rusher, sophomore John Clay, to control the clock and wear out the opposing defense. The Badgers also do not make a lot of mistakes, but are very opportunistic on defense. This is where Purdue could get into trouble, much like they did at Autzen Stadium earlier this year against Oregon.
Prediction- This team needs this win in a bad way. A loss here would send Purdue to Ann Arbor with no margin for error, and effectively end any chance of making a bowl game. Look for Purdue to play with great energy, but also look for Wisconsin, who had a bye and two weeks to prepare for the Boilermakers, to make less mistakes and take this one 27-17.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Boilers Bury The Buckeyes
Ok, now that I have written all that I need to write for the Exponent and done our new weekly segment "Water Break Live" I feel I can add to the blog. It was definitely a crazy celebration in West Lafayette this past Saturday and why not? Purdue finally got the proverbial monkey off its back by defeating a ranked oppoent having not beaten one since 2003, and defeated its highest ranked opponent since defeating No. 4 Kansas State in the 1999 Alamo Bowl. The game has been very well documented, but here's a few extra notes.
What a rush!- For the first time since I have been at Purdue (since the fall of 2005) the field at Ross-Ade Stadium was rushed by happy fans. The players were all clearly thrilled, Joey Elliott and Ryan Kerrigan most notably, and gave fans high fives and hugs until over 15 minutes after the band finished playing "Hail Purdue." Coach Danny Hope appeared to have stolen a few children and held them up with a big grin on his face, he may be running for president.
You take what you can get.- For all the talk of which games Purdue should have won this year, if you had to pick one, it would seem Ohio State would be the best one to come through on. Now, I am not talking about personal preference. Sure, some people just love beating Notre Dame because they are a hated rival, or some people really wanted to beat Oregon this year because of last year's heart-breaking finish, but when it comes down to it, the Buckeyes were the best team to beat. First of all, Ohio State is currently in a class of its own in Big Ten play. While that has not meant as much as usual lately, beating the 800 lb gorilla in your conference is a much bigger win than defeating a trendy pre season pick out of the Pac 10 or an overrated Notre Dame team. Had Purdue defeated Oregon it would have been attributed to the Ducks' downward spiral after the Boise St. debacle, and had they defeated Notre Dame it would have just been about Notre Dame once again underachieving. Add in the fact that it was a huge recruiting weekend, and you get the biggest possible win for the 2009 season.
Bowl hopes still alive- I spoke with senior corner Brandon King Sunday and he told me that bowl hopes are still very much alive in the Purdue locker room. While Saturday's game was certainly evidence that this team will not quit, is it really reasonable to expect Purdue to win at least four out of its last five to become bowl eligible? Though I'm very optimistic when it comes to this team, I don't think that is a realistic goal at this point. If they had two more wins I would say bowl eligibility is the main goal, but it seems like a bit too steep of a mountain to climb right now. This Saturday brings a very beatable Illinois team to Ross-Ade, but after that the schedule gets significantly more difficult. Nevermind the fact that there have been no "gimme" games for Purdue yet this season. On Halloween Purdue could walk into a literal house of horrors against the Badgers in Madison, and the next week brings an even tougher challenge as Purdue will travel to the Big House in Ann Arbor where they haven't won in over 40 years. The next week is a home game against a Michigan St. team that I cannot seem to figure out, but will still be a challenge no doubt due to their physical nature, and the last game is a road trip to Bloomington to face the hated Hoosiers. I think it is reasonable to expect wins against Illinois and Indiana, and maybe one of the other three games, but to expect four or five wins, I think that is asking a bit much of an inexperienced team.
What a rush!- For the first time since I have been at Purdue (since the fall of 2005) the field at Ross-Ade Stadium was rushed by happy fans. The players were all clearly thrilled, Joey Elliott and Ryan Kerrigan most notably, and gave fans high fives and hugs until over 15 minutes after the band finished playing "Hail Purdue." Coach Danny Hope appeared to have stolen a few children and held them up with a big grin on his face, he may be running for president.
You take what you can get.- For all the talk of which games Purdue should have won this year, if you had to pick one, it would seem Ohio State would be the best one to come through on. Now, I am not talking about personal preference. Sure, some people just love beating Notre Dame because they are a hated rival, or some people really wanted to beat Oregon this year because of last year's heart-breaking finish, but when it comes down to it, the Buckeyes were the best team to beat. First of all, Ohio State is currently in a class of its own in Big Ten play. While that has not meant as much as usual lately, beating the 800 lb gorilla in your conference is a much bigger win than defeating a trendy pre season pick out of the Pac 10 or an overrated Notre Dame team. Had Purdue defeated Oregon it would have been attributed to the Ducks' downward spiral after the Boise St. debacle, and had they defeated Notre Dame it would have just been about Notre Dame once again underachieving. Add in the fact that it was a huge recruiting weekend, and you get the biggest possible win for the 2009 season.
Bowl hopes still alive- I spoke with senior corner Brandon King Sunday and he told me that bowl hopes are still very much alive in the Purdue locker room. While Saturday's game was certainly evidence that this team will not quit, is it really reasonable to expect Purdue to win at least four out of its last five to become bowl eligible? Though I'm very optimistic when it comes to this team, I don't think that is a realistic goal at this point. If they had two more wins I would say bowl eligibility is the main goal, but it seems like a bit too steep of a mountain to climb right now. This Saturday brings a very beatable Illinois team to Ross-Ade, but after that the schedule gets significantly more difficult. Nevermind the fact that there have been no "gimme" games for Purdue yet this season. On Halloween Purdue could walk into a literal house of horrors against the Badgers in Madison, and the next week brings an even tougher challenge as Purdue will travel to the Big House in Ann Arbor where they haven't won in over 40 years. The next week is a home game against a Michigan St. team that I cannot seem to figure out, but will still be a challenge no doubt due to their physical nature, and the last game is a road trip to Bloomington to face the hated Hoosiers. I think it is reasonable to expect wins against Illinois and Indiana, and maybe one of the other three games, but to expect four or five wins, I think that is asking a bit much of an inexperienced team.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Football Mid-Season Report and Awards
Well, this is my (Joe's) first entry and I thought this would be a good way to get it started. If you happen to be a Purdue sports fan, you know that so far the boys from West Lafayette have been less than successful in securing football victories this season and are certainly not doing first year coach Danny Hope any favors by turning the ball over a Big Ten high 20 times. Still Purdue only lost games to nationally ranked Notre Dame and Oregon by a combined five points and had to go out of their way to blow a 21-3 lead against Northwestern at homecoming. The effort has definitely been there, but this inexperienced, note I did not say young, team will have to learn to take care of the football if they want to have any chance of making any noise in the Big Ten any time soon.
Game of the Year- I mean, you could take your pick of any one of Purdue's heartbreaking defeats here. I would say Oregon is the best moral victory, simply because Purdue went into a very hostile environment (I was there, place is loud man) and, despite numerous mistakes, played with the Ducks until the very end. The game was also the most entertaining to watch. Trailing by eight (due to a previously blocked extra point) Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott converted a third and eight with his legs. Then, facing fourth and 12, Purdue ran a Statue of Liberty pass which receiver Keith Smith threw perfectly to find Aaron Valentin in the endzone. Unfortunatley, and in the theme of this entire season, tight end Kyle Adams landed just out of bounds while making the catch on the two-point conversion that would have sent the game to overtime.
Play of the Year- It's hard to go against the aforementioned trick play. Not only was it a beautiful play to watch, it converted a fourth and long and put Purdue in position to tie the game. I remember watching the play unfold in the press box and just seeing the sheer disbelief on the faces of everyone who covered Purdue football. This certainly was not the Purdue play calling that they, or I, had grown accustomed to following the Boilermakers. Props to Joey Elliott, whom coach Hope credited with calling the play.
Worst Game of the Year- Another tough one. Do you choose the inexscusable loss to a MAC team (Northern Illinois) or do you go with the almost surreal barrage of mistakes that led to Purdue blowing a huge first half lead against Northwestern? I, for one, found the Northwestern game way harder to stomach. Big Ten teams lose to MAC teams, it happens. It's embarrassing and nobody likes to talk about it, but it happens. Now, leading 21-3 with just over two minutes left in the first half and losing? That shouldn't happen, especially the way Purdue did it. Purdue turned the ball over three consecutive times before the half ended, yes I said BEFORE THE HALF ENDED, yes that same half that had JUST OVER TWO MINUTES REMAINING IN IT. Crazy, I know, that's why I used all caps. An Elliott interception led to a touchdown, while fumbles by running back Jaycen Taylor and receiver Keith Carlos led to field goals. Suddenly a game Purdue had dominated was a one score game. Purdue then proceeded to do nothing offensively in the second half and fumble twice more, with a Northwestern punt bouncing off a Purdue player and being recovered by the Wildcats. Trailing by six the Boilers actually put together a nice drive down to Northwestern's six yard line, but Elliott badly missed a wide open Valentin in the back of the end zone for the win.
Worst Play of the Year- So many good (bad) ones to choose from. I'm gonna go with this beauty from last week's loss to Minnesota at the new TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (which is quite posh if I do say so myself). Purdue trailed only by eight and was in position to pull the game within a score with a Carson Wiggs field goal try. Unfortunately it would turn into point for the Gophers as a whole swarm of them busted threw the middle and blocked the kick, then, with Purdue's great luck it's had all season, bouned directly into the hands of Minnesota's Traye Simmons who returned it 47 yards for a touchdown.
Best Coaching Decision of the Year- It would be easy to say the Statue of Liberty here, but as I already said, Joey Elliott called that play. I guess you could give them credit for listening to him, but I'm gonna go another direction with this one. Though it didn't lead to a victory, if it had been executed properly, Purdue may have a second win right now. On second and goal of Purdue's final drive against Northwestern, offensive coordiantor Gary Nord dialed up a bubble screen to Keith Carlos that had worked with great effectiveness earlier in the game. Had it not been for an errant Elliott throw, Carlos would have walked into the end zone allowing Purdue to escape with a win. But, like the Boilers season, Elliott's pass took a nose dive, causing Carlos to lunge into the turf after it. The worst part is he actually made the catch forcing Purdue to use their final timeout to stop the clock.
Worst Coaching Decision of the Year- I know most people are going to point towards the infamous "Timeout" at the end of the Notre Dame game, but I had no problem with that. In fact, I wish he would have used all of his timeouts, there were 42 seconds left, the Irish were gonna get two plays off anyways, and if Weiss would have spiked it (like he said he was going to) then he is dumber than I thought (which is pretty dumb). No, I go to the decision to pass at the end of the first half against Northwestern. You are up 21-3 in the shadow of your own goal posts with two minutes and change left. Hand the ball off and protect it so that you can go to the locker room with a big lead and all the momentum. Instead a turnover tornado like I had never seen before broke out on the north side of Ross-Ade Stadium and didn't die down until Purdue marked another in the loss column.
Offensive Player of the Year- You gotta love Keith Smith. He just flat out brings it every day and could win this distinction just for being the vocal leader of the offense, as well as one of the few guys who has yet to turn the ball over. But it's more than that. The guy plays the game with such passion and intensity. Just watch him after the catch, he will often run over or carry defenders for extra yardage. Unbelievable. He is also the heart and soul of the offense. He nearly single handedly woke up the offense in time to beat Notre Dame, despite constant double teams, and appeared to be the only receiver still playing when Purdue fell behind 35-13 against Minnesota. Again, you gotta love Keith Smith.
Defensive Player of the Year- Coming into 2009 there was a great deal of hype surrounding Purdue's defensive line. Well, it appears at least one member of the line is living up to that billing. Defensive end Ryan Kerrigan has become, maybe, the most complete defensive end in the conference. Now, he doesn't wow you with his athleticism, but his power and motor make him quite a hassle for opposing offenses. Add in the fact that senior defensive tackle Mike Neal has been eating up double teams all year, and the you get a big season from Kerrigan who leads the team with four solo sacks, which ties him for third in the Big Ten, and has 7.5 tackles for loss, second on the team only to the...
MVP- Despite all the negativity surrounding Purdue this season, you can't help but smile about the season Jason Werner is quietly having. After four injury plagued seasons dealing with nagging back problems, Werner is finally healthy and having an All-Big Ten kind of season. He has been all over the field, leading Purdue with 50 tackles, including three sacks, and been the Boilers' best linebacker in pass coverage. He also hasn't missed too many tackles, a major problem for Purdue in the early goings of 2009. Oh yeah, and he ranks third in the Big Ten with 11 tackles for loss.
Game of the Year- I mean, you could take your pick of any one of Purdue's heartbreaking defeats here. I would say Oregon is the best moral victory, simply because Purdue went into a very hostile environment (I was there, place is loud man) and, despite numerous mistakes, played with the Ducks until the very end. The game was also the most entertaining to watch. Trailing by eight (due to a previously blocked extra point) Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott converted a third and eight with his legs. Then, facing fourth and 12, Purdue ran a Statue of Liberty pass which receiver Keith Smith threw perfectly to find Aaron Valentin in the endzone. Unfortunatley, and in the theme of this entire season, tight end Kyle Adams landed just out of bounds while making the catch on the two-point conversion that would have sent the game to overtime.
Play of the Year- It's hard to go against the aforementioned trick play. Not only was it a beautiful play to watch, it converted a fourth and long and put Purdue in position to tie the game. I remember watching the play unfold in the press box and just seeing the sheer disbelief on the faces of everyone who covered Purdue football. This certainly was not the Purdue play calling that they, or I, had grown accustomed to following the Boilermakers. Props to Joey Elliott, whom coach Hope credited with calling the play.
Worst Game of the Year- Another tough one. Do you choose the inexscusable loss to a MAC team (Northern Illinois) or do you go with the almost surreal barrage of mistakes that led to Purdue blowing a huge first half lead against Northwestern? I, for one, found the Northwestern game way harder to stomach. Big Ten teams lose to MAC teams, it happens. It's embarrassing and nobody likes to talk about it, but it happens. Now, leading 21-3 with just over two minutes left in the first half and losing? That shouldn't happen, especially the way Purdue did it. Purdue turned the ball over three consecutive times before the half ended, yes I said BEFORE THE HALF ENDED, yes that same half that had JUST OVER TWO MINUTES REMAINING IN IT. Crazy, I know, that's why I used all caps. An Elliott interception led to a touchdown, while fumbles by running back Jaycen Taylor and receiver Keith Carlos led to field goals. Suddenly a game Purdue had dominated was a one score game. Purdue then proceeded to do nothing offensively in the second half and fumble twice more, with a Northwestern punt bouncing off a Purdue player and being recovered by the Wildcats. Trailing by six the Boilers actually put together a nice drive down to Northwestern's six yard line, but Elliott badly missed a wide open Valentin in the back of the end zone for the win.
Worst Play of the Year- So many good (bad) ones to choose from. I'm gonna go with this beauty from last week's loss to Minnesota at the new TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (which is quite posh if I do say so myself). Purdue trailed only by eight and was in position to pull the game within a score with a Carson Wiggs field goal try. Unfortunately it would turn into point for the Gophers as a whole swarm of them busted threw the middle and blocked the kick, then, with Purdue's great luck it's had all season, bouned directly into the hands of Minnesota's Traye Simmons who returned it 47 yards for a touchdown.
Best Coaching Decision of the Year- It would be easy to say the Statue of Liberty here, but as I already said, Joey Elliott called that play. I guess you could give them credit for listening to him, but I'm gonna go another direction with this one. Though it didn't lead to a victory, if it had been executed properly, Purdue may have a second win right now. On second and goal of Purdue's final drive against Northwestern, offensive coordiantor Gary Nord dialed up a bubble screen to Keith Carlos that had worked with great effectiveness earlier in the game. Had it not been for an errant Elliott throw, Carlos would have walked into the end zone allowing Purdue to escape with a win. But, like the Boilers season, Elliott's pass took a nose dive, causing Carlos to lunge into the turf after it. The worst part is he actually made the catch forcing Purdue to use their final timeout to stop the clock.
Worst Coaching Decision of the Year- I know most people are going to point towards the infamous "Timeout" at the end of the Notre Dame game, but I had no problem with that. In fact, I wish he would have used all of his timeouts, there were 42 seconds left, the Irish were gonna get two plays off anyways, and if Weiss would have spiked it (like he said he was going to) then he is dumber than I thought (which is pretty dumb). No, I go to the decision to pass at the end of the first half against Northwestern. You are up 21-3 in the shadow of your own goal posts with two minutes and change left. Hand the ball off and protect it so that you can go to the locker room with a big lead and all the momentum. Instead a turnover tornado like I had never seen before broke out on the north side of Ross-Ade Stadium and didn't die down until Purdue marked another in the loss column.
Offensive Player of the Year- You gotta love Keith Smith. He just flat out brings it every day and could win this distinction just for being the vocal leader of the offense, as well as one of the few guys who has yet to turn the ball over. But it's more than that. The guy plays the game with such passion and intensity. Just watch him after the catch, he will often run over or carry defenders for extra yardage. Unbelievable. He is also the heart and soul of the offense. He nearly single handedly woke up the offense in time to beat Notre Dame, despite constant double teams, and appeared to be the only receiver still playing when Purdue fell behind 35-13 against Minnesota. Again, you gotta love Keith Smith.
Defensive Player of the Year- Coming into 2009 there was a great deal of hype surrounding Purdue's defensive line. Well, it appears at least one member of the line is living up to that billing. Defensive end Ryan Kerrigan has become, maybe, the most complete defensive end in the conference. Now, he doesn't wow you with his athleticism, but his power and motor make him quite a hassle for opposing offenses. Add in the fact that senior defensive tackle Mike Neal has been eating up double teams all year, and the you get a big season from Kerrigan who leads the team with four solo sacks, which ties him for third in the Big Ten, and has 7.5 tackles for loss, second on the team only to the...
MVP- Despite all the negativity surrounding Purdue this season, you can't help but smile about the season Jason Werner is quietly having. After four injury plagued seasons dealing with nagging back problems, Werner is finally healthy and having an All-Big Ten kind of season. He has been all over the field, leading Purdue with 50 tackles, including three sacks, and been the Boilers' best linebacker in pass coverage. He also hasn't missed too many tackles, a major problem for Purdue in the early goings of 2009. Oh yeah, and he ranks third in the Big Ten with 11 tackles for loss.
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